Thinkin of Racing SCCA SOLOII

[mellowyellow]

I am in need of assistance on this subject:

ok i am thinkin of joining the local SCCA next spring and I was curious on or if anyone has raced thier AUTO P5 in an SOLOII race? And if so what kind of mods did you do, and how did the P5 handle??? I have a friend who said that the P5 can out handle a WRX......but to me that was kinda far fetched....
If any one has any suggestions on what kind of mods would be good to start off with, I would highly appreciate it.

Oh BTW I havent done anything, performance wise, as of yet.

 

[Leigh]

bone stock the WRX doesn't handle very well, I've not driven a P5 but I'd not be shocked if it was able to out-handle it, I know the MSP can slaughter it in DS (its always better to compare against cars in your own class).

Don't mess with the car, if you MUST spend money on something invest in some good tires, Falken Azenis are cheap & competitive - not sure if there are fit problems for the P5 of not though... I run on Kuhmo MXs which are almost as good IMO (Generally R-comps aren't something I'd recommend to newbies since they are EXPENSIVE and when you're starting out its easy enough to trash a set in a few weekends). I repeat; don't mess with the car - doing so will get you booted to the higher classes, which generally means you'll be running against harder competition. Since its an automatic get good with your left foot braking, and when you make your runs leave the car in "2".

Also - why wait till spring? Go drive now.

 

[mellowyellow]

Thanks Leigh,
I will take your advise and save up for a new set of rubber and wheels. The only reason i am not drivin now is cause the season is almost done here(ALASKA) I mean there are still races left. I am goin to watch a SOLOII on the 31st so we'll see. Maybe i'll ride along with one of the racers. Thanks again.

 

[dmitrik4]

fyi, using a different size than stock will move you to another class. just get a set of 215/45/16 Azenis for your stock rims. it's pushing the envelope of fitment, but they should work according to others around here who've done it.

stick your current tires on another set of wheels if you want...i ran through a set of stock dunlops in one sumemr of autoXing, so i highly recommend a set of dedicated autoX tires.

then just go run. the azenis make a world of difference, but seat time will do you the most good.

have fun and good luck! the Pro is a fine autoX car, and does compare favorably to a WRX in the handling dept.

 

[SciFiMan]

My LX is an auto. Just have fun with it the first year or two. They're right, don't worry about car upgrades. If your tires are still in decent shape, I wouldn't even replace them yet. Learn the car and your abilities first, and finding the best line. Getting sticky tires right off will only hide your bad habits. Unless the course is slow and tight, don't worry about a WRX. It's Mini's, 4 cylinder accords, etc. you'll be trying to chase down. Having an auto means you can't choose your shift points. I tried running in 2nd for the whole course several times, but due to the lack of torque I now leave it in auto with overdrive locked out. A bit faster. Good luck, and have fun!

 

[mellowyellow]

Thanks guys I appreciate your help and advice!!!